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Saturday, July 30, 2016

Balvenie 17 yo (bottled 2006), New Wood, 40 %

Review #325

This
limited release is from a batch of 79 casks, and is finished for 4 month in
virgin American oak. The finish definitely did its work! The smell is very
oaky, so I would recommend you give it a couple of minutes in the glass to calm
down. Some more vanilla and honey comes forward, but unfortunately, it is still
a bit too oaky for me.

The taste
is very watery even for 40 %. Again the oak is very dominant and doesn’t let
much other through to your palate. The finish is short but some spices comes
forward. The vanilla and honey is hiding in the background all the way through.

First, it
is a bit too oaky for me all the way through. Second, the low ABV just makes it
too watery. Actually if I should have guessed an ABV, it would have beenbelow
40. New Wood? More like “Oaky Water”. I will give this 78/100 (20/20/19/19).